Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 5th, 2021 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.
Tereza Turecka,
We are looking at a newly formed sun crust on solar aspects and a continuous wind slab development for this weekend.Heavily faceted snowpack below the surface should be thoroughly examined before committing to your line.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Saturday: Cloudy, isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Alpine High -7 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 15-35 km/h. Sunday: Cloudy, isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Alpine Low -12 °C, High -8 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 15-35 km/h. Monday: A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine Low -14 °C, High -9 °C. Ridge wind west: 10-30 km/h.Â
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is highly variable throughout the forecast region. Warm temperatures have created thin crust on solar aspects at TL and BTL. Upper snowpack, either wind or sun affected, overlies a still relatively supportive mid-pack in the Icefields area. Shallow snowpack areas are weak and failing within various faceted layers in test results.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous loose wet and slab avalanches on solar aspects up to size 2, mostly at TL and BTL throughout the forecast region observed on Thursday into Friday. Large natural slab avalanches observed in high alpine earlier in the week with no new activity reported in couple days.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Saturday
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind slabs in the alpine and exposed treeline features have the potential for wide propagations across connected features.
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.
- If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
Caution in thin facetted snowpack areas where triggering is more likely. This is a low probability but high consequence problem.
- Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 6th, 2021 4:00PM
